November 2017

Fall Term Updates You are encouraged to check the online catalog for the latest and most up-to-date information about courses. Corrections are made there as soon as they are known. As of press time:

Cancelled Classes Concord Count Rumford: Adventures in Europe Poetry in Translation

Manchester Animal Advocacy Here and Abroad Can We Survive? Drake’s Last Term Elder Musik: “I Could Never Learn to Play at My Age!” Four Loves Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance

Filled Classes Conway America’s Health Care Landscape - The View after ACA, Repeal, Replace or Repair Ethan Frome - Winter of Discontent Everyone Can Draw

Manchester Acadians: A Story of Tragedy & Survival From Bacteria to Bach and Back Grand Tour of the Universe Making Immigration Great Again Under the Trump Administration Moonshine, the Brinks Job and the NH Connection

Seacoast Collective Guilt and Collective Responsibility in History: Germany and the USA

Underenrolled Classes The following classes are underenrolled. Take a second look – you might find a hidden gem! But don’t wait too long or you may find the class has been cancelled.

Concord ABCs of Assistive Technology for Aging

Manchester Loyalty as a Virtue: Reflections of Josiah Royce Paris-New York in the 20's and 30's - Part One & Part Four Wings of the Dawn

Seacoast Taking Action for Wildlife: What You Can Do in Your Community

Added Sessions These classes were listed as one-session courses, but are actually two sessions with a fee of $25 instead of $20. Added days are:

Elizabeth Cady Stanton – 11/3 – 10:00 a.m. John “Gil” Wynant – 11/21 – 10:00 a.m.

IN THIS ISSUE CLICK ON ANY TOPIC TO GO TO THE PAGE CARRYING THE ARTICLE

FALL TERM UPDATES CHAIR’S CHAT HALL STREET JOURNAL PRESENTER PROFILE SEACOAST HANDWORK SIG CONWAY’S CORNER SEACOAST MUG ‘N’ MUFFIN CONCORD BOOK CLUB MANCHESTER MYSTERY EVENT ANDRES INSTITUTE OF ART EXPLORING FORT FOSTER ON THE TOPIC OF LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE OLLI STRONG CONCORD PATRIOTS PARTY NOVEMBER CALENDAR

As I have said at many venues, our statewide Steering

Committee representatives have wide-ranging

responsibilities which they live up to on a consistent basis.

However, they also experience a unique volunteer benefit of

visiting each of our sites twice during the fiscal year . . .

from the cities of Concord and Manchester to the ocean area

of the Seacoast and the mountainous region of Conway. We

experienced an added bonus this October as our host was

the Conway site in the White Mountain region of New

Hampshire where the spectacular reds, oranges and bright

yellows of autumn presented us with an overwhelming

natural fashion show on a perfect sun-filled day. What a

fabulous pre-Halloween treat and a priceless bonus for their

efforts!

Two new proposals captured the major portion of our

meeting: the first was a suggestion to transition OLLI at

GSC to a members-only organization allowing only one

class price and eliminating some confusion for members and

non-members alike; the second was a suggestion that the

Steering Committee devote one meeting per year to a whole,

retreat-type day which would permit time for discussion and

exchange of information about a few major topics.

Discussion of these proposals brought many additional

ideas which will be considered by the committee and voted

on at our next meeting on November 27 in Manchester.

Let me leave you with sincere wishes for a Thanksgiving

filled with fond memories of this past year and anticipation

of another fruitful year.

Sharon Kace

Learning for the Fun of It

Thank you to our Veterans

Thank you to Granite State College

As an accredited institution with 45 years of experience, Granite State College (GSC) is dedicated to providing affordable, convenient, and innovative education to adults of all ages be they undergraduates, graduate students, continuing education professionals or local community business partners.

Granite State College is dedicated to serving adult learners of all ages. As part of that mission, Granite State College also proudly hosts OLLI. As our host institution, GSC not only provides OLLI with a home from which to hold classes, it also offers numerous in-kind services that promote volunteerism and are crucial to our work. These include clean meeting/event space that is Wi-Fi- and technology-equipped, OLLI office workstations with computers, safe and convenient parking, marketing, financial and administrative services and helpful, friendly campus staff.

If added together, the services that GSC provides to OLLI would amount to a sum well beyond OLLI’s budget. In fact GSC’s strong level of support has enabled our organization to maintain some of the lowest member and class fees in the country. Low fees translate into greater accessibility for older adults who may be on fixed incomes.

By hosting OLLI, Granite State College continues to demonstrate a commitment to members and volunteers that helps them remain active, engaged, healthy and isolation-free. They are contributing to the concept of age-friendly, healthy communities in NH, a movement that is gaining the attention of the media, state government, and public and private sector businesses. There are 120 Osher Lifelong Institutes hosted by institutions of higher learning across the USA and very few of them experience the level of support and commitment that Granite State College provides to our OLLI.

For all of these reasons and more, earlier this year OLLI nominated Granite State College for the 2017 Spirit of New Hampshire Award and we won! GSC will be honored at an awards ceremony on November 7 along with award-winning volunteers from nonprofit organizations across the state for supporting volunteerism. Congratulations, Granite State College! OLLI staff and members are extremely appreciative of our home.

Wishing you and your families the happiest of Thanksgivings, George, Laurie, Tessa and Jane

Expanded Winter/Spring Term to be Piloted in January

OLLI is planning to combine the winter and spring terms beginning in the new year. What does this mean for you? 1) There will not be separate course catalogs for winter and spring. 2) There will not be a break between winter and spring terms. 3) There will be a slight change of schedule:

Winter/Spring Class Previews will occur during the week of January 8

Registration will begin on February 1

Classes will begin on February 19 and run through June 15

This is an experiment. Volunteers and staff will be interested in learning from you whether the change is worthy of becoming permanent. We look forward to hearing from you!

OLLI Annual Appeal is on the Way

Are you Learning for the Fun of It or

do you Come for the Classes and Stay for Friends?

During the week of November 13, OLLI will be mailing annual appeal letters. We hope you will consider joining others (some of whom have already donated more than once!) and give a gift to OLLI. Whether to you it means “Learning for the Fun of It” or “Come for the Classes, Stay for the Friends,” OLLI has found its way into your life.

Your gifts work for OLLI today to: Keep the cost of membership and class fees low Support scholarships and volunteers Expand access to the ever-growing number of adults over

the age of 50 Increase the organization’s capacity to manage growth

Your gifts work for OLLI tomorrow to: Ensure sustainability by building OLLI’s savings account in

case of a “rainy day”

When OLLI is fortunate enough to realize net income at the end of a year, it is funneled directly into our OLLI savings account. OLLI strives to remain fiscally healthy by accumulating savings in case of unforeseen events. Consider that the interest earned on Osher Foundation endowments represents 23% of our annual budget. When the stock market dips so does our interest income. We need a cushion in case that happens (again).

The budget goal for member gifts this year is $25,000. Members’ gifts have ranged in size from $5 to $500. Please consider what OLLI means to you and give a gift of thanks. Be part of the 100% member-participation campaign and give a gift in any amount. Thank you in advance!

THE LATEST NEWS FROM THE OLLI OFFICE, 25 HALL STREET, CONCORD

Jane Fletcher, Program Director, Class of 2011

On behalf of OLLI staff, I want to express gratitude to all veterans, many of whom are OLLI members and volunteers. We are grateful and thank you for your service as we also remember those who never made it home.

Question: What do a bloody riot, a nineteenthth-century poem, runaway slaves and losers in a

revolution all have in common?

Answer: Eleanor Strang, the petite powerhouse who, in her four years as an OLLI presenter, brought

us some of OLLI’s most popular courses, laced with a passion for American and Canadian history.

She shared some of that passion with us in a recent interview.

“Retirement is the chance to take Robert Frost’s Road Not Taken,” Eleanor said. A former Director of

the Kelley Library in Salem, she welcomed the chance to explore her personal “road not taken,” that of

a history teacher, after her retirement in 2008. Fascinated since adolescence with the Underground

Railroad, she researched lesser-known New Hampshire towns and their Underground Railroad

Introduced by Jacki Fogarty, Editor

I sat next to Eleanor Strang at the 10th Anniversary Luncheon. I had never met her although I knew her name and that she was a

presenter of OLLI’s very popular Underground Railroad course. Ugh, history! And, in the course of our conversation, I told her

as much.

But no, she offered, this is not history as you were taught in grammar school 50 years ago. “I PROMISE you that if you come to

my class you will enjoy learning history.” And, like a fool, I grudgingly told her the next time she presented Underground

Railroad, I would take it. After all, I’ve endured two hours of boredom before in my life and survived . . . Well, Eleanor

delivered as promised, I became a fan and she is the first of our presenters to be featured in a new column in OLLI Outlook.

Our prolific presenters, those who have presented numerous OLLI courses, often in multiple

sites, have earned a special place in Heaven. Remember that these are volunteers who use

their own time and resources to research, plan, develop and present their course content to a

grateful and enthusiastic OLLI audience. Each month we will introduce one of them to you so

you can learn about the person behind the course topic.

Eleanor Strang Submitted by Marcy Charette, Class of 2017

connections in hours of reading at the State Library. From that was born a historical presentation which she successfully shared

with New Hampshire libraries and historical societies more than three dozen times.

“Doing historical presentations combines the solitary aspect of being a researcher with the social aspect of being a presenter.

It’s a perfect world,” Eleanor noted. She began taking OLLI courses and went on to share her expertise as an OLLI presenter

with classes on The Underground Railroad and The Loyalists: The Other Side of the Revolution, a peek into a slice of

American history that even ardent history buffs often overlook.

Canada, the destination for both the Underground Railroad and fleeing Loyalists, played a role in her first two courses. Eleanor

continued that Canadian connection in her third and current course, Acadians: A Story of Tragedy and Survival. Drawing on

her love of Longfellow’s Evangeline, Eleanor explored the compelling story of French-speaking Acadians expelled from Canada

by the British and ongoing efforts to preserve Acadian culture both in northern Maine and Cajun Louisiana. Students flocked to

sign up for Eleanor’s two Concord classes, a Manchester class and a Nashua class in the Fall term.

Herself an OLLI student pursuing an eclectic range of classes, Eleanor emphasized how impressed she is with OLLI members,

as a student as well as presenter. “OLLI is an opportunity to continue learning new things with like-minded people —

enthusiastic, well educated, articulate people who make classes come alive.” We are grateful for the expertise, humor and

history Eleanor has brought to OLLI.

Not all treks down the road not taken ended up in Canada, however. While on an OLLI

trip to Philadelphia, Eleanor stopped at the new Museum of the American Revolution.

A Boston native, she was intrigued with a small exhibit and the simplistic version of

history we so often see. Her research developed into a class for the Winter/Spring

term on The Boston Massacre. How did John Adams, an ardent patriot, end up

defending British soldiers — successfully — and why? Who was Crispus Attucks?

How has Paul Revere’s famous drawing of the massacre framed our ideas about the

event? “There were deliberate inaccuracies in that drawing,” Eleanor noted with a

twinkle. “It was propaganda.” She explained that students are often not taught to think

critically about historical sources or to consider the biases those sources had. This

coming term, students can feast on an unbiased slice of American history, brought to

OLLI by this talented presenter.

Conway’s Corner Submitted by Betsy Gemmecke, Class of 2008

The Conway OLLI Munch Bunch SIG invites you to join them at the Stone Mountain Taste of Christmas Rooster Luncheon on November 29 starting at noon. Nestled in the foothills of the White Mountains, the Stone Mountain Arts Center is a beautiful timber frame music hall hosting national acts up close and personal in an equally beautiful setting. This unique space is located just over the border from NH in Brownfield, Maine. Drive up a country road, with the mountains as your guide. When you reach the top there with its red clapboards, this special performance space towers over Noonan’s 200 year old farmhouse providing you with a dramatic audience experience you will not forget.

Participants need to be at the Stone Mountain Arts Center by 11:30 a.m. They do not accept credit cards at the site, so for drinks or tip please bring cash. Please follow the directions on the Stone Mountain Arts Center website, not GPS. For further information about this event or Munch Bunch events please contact Dave Wright.

Seacoast Handwork Special Interest Group Submitted by Sandy O’Neill, Class of 2013

The Seacoast hosts a Special Interest Handwork Group on the third Tuesday of each month. This month, however, it will be November 14, 1:00 to 3:00 p.m. at Granite State College, Portsmouth. This group formed after a number of craft classes were offered on the Seacoast and is open to any OLLI member from any site.

The purpose of the group is two-fold: it is an opportunity to get together and share like interests and instruct others in a variety of handcrafts, and it is an opportunity to socialize with other OLLI members. Please consider joining us regularly or as a drop-in guest. Bring any project on which you are working or just come to learn and converse.

The date change was made to accommodate members’ travel during the Thanksgiving week. If you have any questions about the group, please contact Sandy O’Neill at sandy_oneill@comcast.net.

Thanks for Giving Seacoast Mug ‘n’ Muffin

Submitted by Sandy O’Neill, Class of 2013

Mark your calendars! The Seacoast will be hosting a Mug ‘n’ Muffin on Thursday, November 9 at 10:30 a.m. at Granite State College, 51 International Drive, Portsmouth. Our theme is “Thanks for Giving.” Please bring nonperishable foodstuffs to be contributed to a local food shelter.

For those of you who are unfamiliar with the Mug ‘n’ Muffin activity, it is a chance to get together with other OLLI members for conversation, goodies, and coffee/tea. Bring your favorite mug to use and if you choose to share a favorite recipe for Thanksgiving, bring that along as well.

We will talk recipes and traditions and share them with attendees. If you have any questions about this event, contact Sandy O’Neill at sandy_oneill@comcast.net.

Concord Book Club Submitted by Mary Davies, Class of 2007

November 13 – On Tyranny: Twenty Lessons From The Twentieth Century by Timothy Snyder

Discussion Leader: Sharon Kielty

December 11 – The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah

Discussion Leader: Sandy O’Neill

January 8 – Dark Money by Jane Mayer

Discussion Leader: Sally Embley

Meets at Granite State College, Concord, second Monday of the

month 12:30 to 2:30 p.m. All OLLI members are welcome.

Conway’s Foliage and Photography Out and

About Class

Submitted by Betsy Gemmecke,

Class of 2008

A home-cooked meal will be served followed by a short Christmas carol concert given by owner Carol Noonan. The cost is $30. Interested members should reserve a seat by either calling 1-207-935-7292 or going online at http://stonemountainartscenter.com. Let them know you are with the OLLI group and then please let Dave Wright know by email: wrightdav@gmail.com so he can plan the table and organize the gathering.

Carol Noonan Owner and Entertainer

Manchester Mystery Event Submitted by Diane Parks - Class of 2015

The event was a fun afternoon with 52 members and guests in attendance from all OLLI sites.

A resource booklet was distributed which addressed OLLI information including Organizational Charts, individual committee responsibilities, and the history of OLLI. The resource booklet can be accessed by clicking here. The meeting opened with an icebreaker activity to see how well we could communicate without speaking by getting into a line in chronological order by birthdays.

The tables were loaded with homemade cookies of many flavors. Pam Saulten, Chair of the Manchester Central Committee and Membership Cochair, welcomed us to the event. Jane Fletcher, Program Director, spoke about OLLI from the “10,000 foot view,” lending insight into OLLI’s relationship with GSC, the Bernard Osher Foundation, funding sources and member benefits that apply across all sites. Sharon Kace, Chair of the Steering Committee, led an activity in which each table had to answer 20 questions about OLLI. The table with the most correct answers won a prize.

Sharon then gave a comprehensive overview of the duties of the Steering Committee and the responsibilities of members within their own capacities on the local level. The objective of the event was that all in attendance would learn something new about OLLI. Mission accomplished!

Pictures by Dottie Nelson, Class of 2006 and Jacki Fogarty, Class of 2012

OLLI On the Road – Pictures from the Connecticut Valley Trip Submitted by Dottie Nelson, Class of 2006

Exploring Fort Foster’s Past and Present Submitted by Nan Nutt, Class of 2015

A lively group of OLLI members made it down to the sea on an absolutely perfect day to explore Fort Foster in Kittery ME under the guidance of Nan Nutt, hike leader. We started at the gatehouse and made our way first to the concrete remains of Battery Chapin (1904), built to help protect the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard in the aftermath of the Spanish-American War.

For those who climbed to the top of the structure and those who stayed near the beach at the base, the view across the Piscataqua to New Castle Island and the Portsmouth Harbor lighthouse at Fort Constitution was crystal clear. The hike continued to the extended pier where we viewed Whaleback Light and Wood Island Lifesaving Station (currently being restored).

We walked along the shoreline past several beaches including “Scuba Beach,” treasured by our hike leader who has often plunged into the water at this spot. We continued to the park pavilion, built on the single remnant of the 19th century, Pocahontas Hotel and Colony, and finally back to our cars. Some then chose to enjoy a lunch stop at Chauncey Creek Lobster Pier, which included lobster (of course) and vinegar cookies offered by our hike leader. Yum!

Per request, the recipe is provided at the right.

Vinegar Cookies (4 dozen)

1¾ cups flour

¾ cup sugar

2 sticks softened butter

1 tsp baking soda

2 tbsp vinegar

1 tsp vanilla

Add nuts, raisins, coconut, chocolate chips or whatever. If none are added, use additional ¼ cup flour (I like coconut and raisins).

Drop by generous teaspoon on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake at 325 for 15 minutes or until cookies are just browning around the edges. Cool on the cookie sheet before removing to a wire rack.

Remember the front cover of the Fall Catalog? It pictures the sculpture Conscious (below). At left is the sculptor, Isidore Batu Siharulidze, reacting to our tour guide’s gentle teasing that the work bears a remarkable resemblance to its creator.

Batu just happened to be on the mountain while we were touring and came out to talk with us.

The OLLI class on September 30 had the unusual privilege to watch one of this year’s three artists brought

in for the Annual Symposium to create a work of art for permanent placement on the mountain. Also unique to this particular class was

saying hello to Paul Andres, founder, and (at his invitation)

walking off the public path onto his private front lawn to see the view

he sees from his living room.

On Friday, October 20, 2017, OLLI in Manchester hosted a membership event entitled A Mystery: So You Think You Know OLLI. It was held at St. Paul's United Methodist Church.

Below, wet but smiling, the OLLI class members along with Robin Clark, Director of the Art Institute, at the far left, pose at the summit in the rain.

On the topic of Leadership Submitted by Jacki Fogarty, Editor

I’ve been ruminating about the topic of leadership lately.

After working on two Leadership Days, the statewide one

and one for Concord, I’ve heard a number of members

vehemently deny being or wanting to be “leaders.”

I also did a little research and, apparently, this is a problem

in many volunteer organizations. So, I thought I’d offer my

thoughts and I’d love to hear some of yours.

Many of our OLLI members love OLLI, love the classes, love

the special events, love the trips, love the newsletter, but they

are willing to sit back and simply enjoy all the benefits their

membership dues can provide. And there's nothing wrong

with that. OLLI depends on you to be there.

But you should know that membership dues don't actually

make all those benefits happen. About 33% of our members

step up to serve on committees, make the phone calls, write

the articles, assist the presenters in the classroom, bake the

cookies, develop the classes, craft the centerpieces, plan the

parties and do all the other things that bring OLLI benefits to

fruition. Those are the leaders of the organization.

Our “leadership” in OLLI is not restricted to being the chair

or vice chair of a committee. It's taking an active role in

making our organization function. Whether you think your

role is large or small, if you are doing something to make

OLLI work, you are a leader . . . and we thank you for it.

Development Committee Needs Your Help! Submitted by Sandy O’Neill, Class of 2013

Every member of OLLI has the ability to help the Development Committee; please consider doing so . . .

The Development Committee is a small statewide committee charged with contributing to the fiscal well-being of OLLI at Granite State College. You know it best for the fundraising requests you receive in November and April. But you are not the only source of fundraising!

This committee also reaches out to corporate sponsors of ads in our catalog. This is where you can help! The committee is looking for suggestions for organizations and businesses that would have an interest in buying ad space in the OLLI catalog or, perhaps, sponsoring events like our previews. The committee is especially interested in hearing about these businesses through people who may have a contact within the business.

If you have a connection to such a business or organization, please consider letting Jane Fletcher know about this relationship and any contact information that you can provide. The ads for our next catalog must be placed by December 1, so we are anxious to reach out to potential sponsors quickly. You can send information to Jane at jane.fletcher@granite.edu.

Our “leadership” in OLLI is not restricted to being the chair or vice chair of a committee . . .

Concord’s Patriots Tailgate Party and Game Day Submitted by Jacki Fogarty, Class of 2012

Mark your calendar as OLLI in Concord brings tailgating inside to the nice, warm, dry Event Center at Granite State College, Concord, on Thursday, November 16 at noon. Following lunch and football fun (you don’t have to be a fan), Game Day will offer you Scrabble, Pictionary, Balder-dash and other favorites to while away your afternoon.

RSVP please to JGerson228@aol.com if you plan to attend. It’s food, it’s fun, and it’s free. Members from all sites are welcome.

If you enjoyed (or heard about) Red Sox Opening Day Party and Game Day in May, you may remember the demand for a Patriots version in the Fall. And the demand for more hot dogs cooked in maple syrup. Well, when our members ask . . . or demand . . . we try to answer the call.

Your generous donations work to maintain affordable dues and class fees, supplement scholarships, ensure program sustainability and build organizational capacity. Thank you for supporting OLLI at Granite State College.

Click here to access the online donation form or mail your check payable to OLLI at Granite State College, OLLI Office, 25 Hall Street, Concord NH 03301.

OLLI Strong Submitted by Anonymous Member

Helping to make OLLI @ GSC even greater

Pitching in to keep us vibrant

Creating a positive member experience

Using one’s talents to strengthen OLLI

Making us stronger and better

Pitching in: whenever, wherever

Keeping us relevant for our members

Giving of time . . . only as much as you want.

+

November Calendar All meetings are at the local Granite State College campus unless otherwise noted.

Concord

Monday, November 6 Concord Communications Committee – 9:30 a.m. Monday, November 13 Concord Central Committee – 9:30 a.m. Monday, November 13 Concord Book Club – 12:30 p.m. Thursday, November 16 Concord Patriots Tailgate Party and Game Day – 12:00 noon Monday, November 20 Concord Curriculum Committee – 10:00 a.m.

Conway Wednesday, November 8 Conway Central Committee – 10:00 a.m. Wednesday, November 8 Conway Curriculum Committee – 10:00 a.m. Wednesday, November 29 Conway Munch Bunch Taste of Christmas Rooster Luncheon – 12:00 noon RSVP to David Wright, wrightdav@gmail.com and see article on page 4 for location and reservation details

Manchester Friday, November 3 Manchester Communications Committee – 12:00 noon Wednesday, November 15 Manchester Membership Committee – 3:00 p.m. Friday, November 17 Manchester Central Committee – 10:00 a.m.

Seacoast Thursday, November 9 Seacoast Mug ‘n’ Muffin, GSC-Portsmouth – 10:30 a.m. Thursday, November 9 Seacoast Curriculum Committee, GSC-Portsmouth – 1:00 p.m. Tuesday, November 14 Seacoast Handwork SIG, GSC-Portsmouth – 1:00 p.m. Contact sandy_oneill@comcast.net

Thursday, November 16 Seacoast Central Committee, GSC-Portsmouth – 1:00 p.m.

Statewide Meetings and Events Friday, November 10 GSC Closed for Veterans Day Wednesday, November 15 Development Committee, GSC-Concord – 10:00 a.m. Thursday, November 23 GSC Closed for Thanksgiving Friday, November 24 GSC Closed for Thanksgiving Monday, November 27 Steering Committee, Manchester – 10:00 a.m.

Looking Ahead Wednesday, December 13 Concord Holiday Party/Yankee Swap – 12:30 p.m. Tuesday, January 9 Conway Winter/Spring Preview Wednesday, January 10 Concord Winter/Spring Preview Thursday, January 11 Seacoast Winter/Spring Preview Friday, January 12 Manchester Winter/Spring Preview Wednesday, January 24 Curriculum Council – 10:00 a.m. Thursday, February 1 Winter/Spring Registration begins – 9:00 a.m. February 19 to June 15 Winter/Spring Term

OLLI at Granite State College 25 Hall Street Concord, NH 03301

(603) 513-1377 olli.office@granite.edu

http://olli.granite.edu OLLI National Resource Center

Learning sites at Concord, Conway, Manchester & the Seacoast

The OLLI Outlook is published monthly and sent to all current OLLI members. OLLI members are invited to submit articles of interest to the general membership. Articles and comments may be emailed to OLLIOutlook@aol.com. Thank you. Jacki G. Fogarty, Editor

Class of 2012